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Vinegar tiger stripe patina on knifes

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Sidmand:

--- Quote --- Does the mustard put color on the blade or take it off?
--- End quote ---

I think it does both really, but I'm not sure on the science.  I am pretty sure that it's the vinegar in the mustard that causes a reaction on high carbon steel which causes it to start to rust or otherwise react.  But, since vinegar is a weak acid, it could clean or otherwise change the color of any steel that already had a patina on it.  It will not etch or otherwise scar the blade unless you leave it on the for a long time, it just alters the color on the surface, you can sand or otherwise remove the patina you get with this method.

I need to redo the blade on my bowie, I will post some pics and a quick walk through when I do.  I put the knife into a sheath I made and vinegar blacked, and apparently it was still damp on the inside of the sheath.  That totally screwed up the finish on the blade and actually pitted it in a couple of places, but the knife was in there for over 24 hours before I checked it.  That's what I get for being impatient.  I had to take the sheath apart, dry it, treat the inside of it with beeswax and olive oil, and then sew it back up.  Now I got to redo the knife.

Pappy:
Very nice,beautiful work. We use vinegar sometimes but the last few I done I used Coke,worked fast and about the same. :)
 Pappy

swamp yeti:
That is a beautiful knife like that patina too.

longbow man:
       Stripes look cool. Try ferric chloride next time(Radio Shack sells it for circuit board work). This really brings out the hamon on a differentially heat treated high carbon blade. Again don't leave it in too long.

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